Everything Comes in Stride
by Shayafeathers
Summary: This is a series of one-shots featuring the Eleventh Doctor. The ratings will range from K-T. Each story will either be from the Doctor's point-of-view or it will be an outsider's view. These one-shots will range from Season 5-7. I can't put a summary for these one-shots, other than there may be some feels.
1. Wonderful is As Christmas Gets

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and smiled a little when he realized it was snowing. The Christmas lights on the houses shone brightly in the dark. Christmas day. He was sure the Ponds were preparing their dinner inside their house.

The Doctor stepped briskly up to the window and peeked inside.

He could see Amy and Rory's silhouettes reflecting from the kitchen on the wall of the living room. A Christmas tree was decorated with lights and ornaments in the corner. Presents were piled underneath the branches. Blue and red lights hung from the ceiling.

He could hear them laughing inside. He smiled again as he placed his hand on the window before turning away. He just wanted to be sure that they were safe. He knew Christmas was a sacred time for humans. And he respected that. It was why he didn't dare disturb the Ponds on this night. He only wanted to be sure that they were safe.

"Oi, Stupid Face!"

The Doctor had almost reached the TARDIS when Amy's voice sounded from where he was sure was the front door. He turned a little to see her figure in the doorway.

He could see Rory standing behind her.

"Did you really think you could hide from us?" Amy snapped as she approached the Doctor.

He only stood still as she pulled him into a hug. The Doctor was a little still for a moment before hugging her back.

"What're you doing out here?"

He was sure it was incredibly cold for humans, so why were they standing outside? He pulled back and gently rubbed Amy's arms. He looked at Rory, who still stayed inside. He looked back down at the woman in front of him.

"You should be inside with your husband," he told her gently.

Amy shook her head in response and the Doctor tilted his head to the side.

"Not a chance, Raggedy Man. You're spending Christmas with us." She promptly took his hand and started to drag him back to their house.

The Doctor's eyes widened a bit and he pulled away from Amy. He only ever celebrated Christmas once or twice with a human family. To the Doctor, it seemed as if it were a sacred tradition and he couldn't possibly spoil the holiday. Especially for Amy and Rory.

Amy faced him with a glare.

"Doctor, get inside the house now. I cooked enough food to feed the three of us and your place is already set."

The Doctor gaped at Amy. She did that? For him? He was already aware that Amy set a place for him every year, ever since he gave them their house, but he hardly ever came. It wasn't that he _didn't_ want to celebrate the tradition, he just knew that it was _human_, not _TimeLord_.

Amy didn't give him any other choice. She sent one of her glares and he instantly allowed the Scottish woman to take him inside. Once in the threshold, he gripped Rory's arm and dipped his head. Rory smiled and patted his back as they made their way into the kitchen. The Doctor took in the sight of the already-prepared feast. He shrugged the tweed off and hung it on the back of his chair. He rolled up his sleeves to help Pond, but she simply placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him into the chair.

"No helping," she told him.

The Doctor had to physically grip the side of his chair so that he wouldn't jump up and help serve them. They moved quickly as three plates were filled with all sorts of different foods. They set the meals down at each spot. Amy sent him a smile as she sat down. The Doctor smiled back at her as he took up the fork and started to pick at the food (some of it looked like… turkey? He couldn't tell. There were other things, as well). Rory set a cup down in front of the Doctor. He stopped to look at it then up at Rory.

The nurse only smiled as well as he sat down next to Amy.

The Doctor took up the cup and clasped it in his hands. He took a small sip and smiled at the warm flavor of the chamomile tea.

He only listened to Amy and Rory speak to one another and himself. They told the Doctor of their daily lives – not on the TARDIS – and the different people they worked with. He only continued to smile, because that was all he could do. They didn't have to invite him inside, and yet, here he was: enjoying a cuppa tea over an intriguing dinner. He couldn't call it dull. Because it really wasn't. This was a family at the height of their happiness, and who would ever want to miss such a beautiful thing?

The Doctor watched as Amy disappeared into the living room. He looked at Rory and they shared a warm smile. He discovered, long ago, that words weren't needed with Rory, not in this situation, or hardly ever.

Amy returned moments later with suspicious boxes wrapped in TARDIS blue wrapping paper. There were only two.

The Doctor looked from the boxes to Amy.

"You didn't need to," he attempted to protest, but she only waved him off.

Amy set the smaller box down in front of him.

The Doctor stared at it as his hands hovered over the present. He looked back up at Amy, who was now leaning against the table.

"Just open it," she snapped in her warm voice.

Reassured, the Doctor began to carefully unpeel the wrapping. Once that was completed, the Doctor began to remove the top. He was aware of Amy watching him, but his attention was now set on what could possibly be inside.

He lifted the top and stared at the object inside. His hearts skipped a few beats.

"Amy… Rory… You shouldn't have."

He gingerly picked up the white, wool scarf decorated with different colored bowties. It wasn't the gift itself so much as it was the heart of what it really meant to him. She hated his obsession with whatever he thought was cool, and to actually get him something that made him feel younger and helped him endure his past… His chest swelled with the warmth building inside his hearts (well, most of it, at least).

The Doctor unfolded it and wrapped it around his neck.

"You're not done, yet."

The Doctor looked at the second box. He was almost afraid of what else they got for him.

He didn't wait. Soon, he was taking the top off of the second box. It was in that moment that tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. He blinked them away. It was so _human_ to cry, but Amy and Rory had done more than they ever realized. He picked up the TARDIS Santa hat and placed it on top his head.

"You look ridiculous," Amy stated, but she placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"I didn't get you anything," He said.

Amy and Rory shared a look, a look he knew a silent conversation passed through with the quirk of their lips and the tilt of their heads. They looked back at him, and it was Rory who spoke,

"Doctor, you do a lot for us already. You gave me that car and gave us this house. You helped Amy and me with our marriage and you keep Melody – River – safe. Just… let us do something for you this time."

He stared up at them. He stood and pulled both Ponds into a hug. He felt their arms wrap around him.

"Thank you," he whispered.

He felt Amy pull back and he watched as she grabbed a napkin and brought it to his face. He didn't object when she dabbed it at the corner of his eye.

"I don't know what I'll ever do with or without you, Doctor," she said.

Rory didn't bother to take the Doctor's arm from around his shoulder. He smiled at the other man. He could see Rory staring at his new accessories.

"You're not going to actually wear that," It wasn't a question, but the Doctor still chuckled.

"Only with you two," He responded.

The Doctor willingly stayed a bit longer to watch Amy and Rory open gifts from friends and from one another. He helped Amy with some of her gifts by organizing what she deemed Keep-Able and Must Throw Away.

He could see they were getting tired.

"I think it's time I headed back," he told them.

Rory waved but Amy insisted on coming with him to the door.

Once outside, he turned to face her. She was smiling at him. "I didn't think you could do it," she said. He looked at her questioningly and Amy laughed in response. He genuinely didn't know what she was talking about, but it was so much more fun to leave it a mystery.

Amy stood up on her toes and leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead. The Doctor smiled at her and leaned forward a bit into her. He lifted his hand up and patted her cheek softly before turning and making his way through the snow back to his ship. Once inside, he made sure to put his newly acquired gifts somewhere safe, somewhere where only he knew they would be.

No, they truly didn't understand what an honor they had given him that night.

_A/N: Okay... So this fanfic is based during season 7, but ignoring The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe episode. Why? Well, for one, I wanted to do an one-shot about a Christmas dinner with the Ponds, but I didn't want to do that episode's version. Again, why? This is most definitely set after Asylum of the Daleks and the 2010 Christmas special is set before then. I'm actually hoping I don't have any explanations about the show in this. I wrote this one-shot for someone who's never seen the show before, so yea..._

_I would really appreciate some reviews and friendly tips if anyone has any._


	2. Living In Darker Hues Each Day

The wind whipped through their hair furiously as the Doctor readjusted his grip on Amy's unconscious body. He could feel the bitter cold in the air and he knew that if he couldn't stop the tremors from shaking his being, then Amy would possibly suffer from hypothermia.

He squinted in hopes of seeing anything through the fog. He could make out a structured box in the distance. He glanced at Amy's partially bloodied face. It was the only chance they had, so he gripped her arm tighter around his shoulders.

They were on the planet of Midnight, a place where the Doctor had wanted to visit for many years. Each year, the planet's environment changed into something completely different from the one before. He'd been to this planet before, back when it was crystalized, vibrant with colors and lifeless.

He should have known that there were local life forms and he should have known that, even though humans were almost always accepted, TimeLords were not. Well, not anymore, at least, as he recently discovered.

The Minorans, satyr-like creatures with blue skin, two curled horns on their heads, and large, white eyes, had welcomed them, but not without having their suspicions. It hardly took them a few hours to discover that the Doctor was a TimeLord and they instantly turned hostile from that point.

Rory had been in the TARDIS at the time, where he still remained (wherever the Doctor's ship and Amy's husband may be), while they took Amy from him and tortured her.

As he thought back to her blood-curdling screams, his blood boiled with the rage building deep inside him.

He would have stayed and brought judgment down upon them. He would have unleashed his wrath on the Minoran people and left no room for apologies. He would have even killed many of them if given the chance, if it weren't for Amelia. So, instead, he fled with her, even though she had been unconscious during the time.

The Doctor let out a soft breath when he could finally make out the small structure through the dense fog and incredibly white snow. It was a small, wooden cabin. Why it was there or how it got there, he didn't know, but at least it would offer some protection. He trudged forward.

As he set his foot down, he heard a faint, incredibly faint, creak. He stopped and kept his and Amy's weight level. He glanced down, unsure if he should attempt to bend down and discover what it was he'd stumbled upon, for he had a vivid idea as to what lay underneath the snow. He glanced over at Amy for a moment. As carefully as he could, he dusted the snow away with his boot, which confirmed his suspicions. He stood upon thin ice, which more than likely covered ice-cold water. He shifted his weight back to get to safety. His muscles clamped into absolute stillness as a louder crack reached his ears. His hearts pounded against his ribcage as he thought out all the plausible scenarios. Most of them didn't end well.

The Doctor looked back toward the cabin. It was only seventy feet or so away from where they were. He didn't know how wide the ice-covered lake was and he didn't know how thin it would become. So, with only one option left, he began to, as slowly as he could, tread across the ice. Each increasing volume of the creaks sent a jolt through his bones. He gripped Amy to him in a tighter embrace. He was nearly there. Only ten more steps…

A _crack_ permeated the air and he barely had time to register the burning cold that crept up his leg. With all that was in him, he pushed Amy as far as he could. Her body slid through the snow for a couple feet before coming to a rest against the cabin.

The Doctor sucked in a breath as he suddenly became aware that the lower half of his body was burning with unbearable cold and he was quickly sliding under water. He tried to grip at anything to keep himself from breaking under the surface. He managed to grip his fingernails in a ditch in the ice just before his head submerged in the water. He perched his elbows on the unbroken ice and slowly began to pull himself up and out of the water. He was so incredibly stiff. He could hardly feel his toes. He managed to lift his almost-frozen legs out of the water. He gasped in ragged breaths as his gaze flickered over to Amy.

With whatever strength was left, he lifted himself up and stumbled in her direction. He grabbed her arm with frozen fingers and slung her arm up and around his neck. He brought his gaze to the cabin and carefully made his way over to the door. He pushed it open.

The Doctor took in the sight of the practically bare room inside. Only a gas fireplace (that was lucky), a bed, and a storage locker occupied the space. He stepped inside, not without closing the door, and set Amy down on the bed. He turned to the locker and opened it. There was a small stock of food supplies and liquids. He pulled out the wool blankets and draped them over Amy. His fingers were beginning to stiffen and fail to grip the sheets and his legs were beginning to lock and refuse any movement. He knew there was work to be done, though.

He pushed his weight against the locker so that it began to slide across the room. He pushed it against the door. This took many long minutes to accomplish. He stopped to allow the tremors in his limbs and jaw to come to a rest.

Was this what true cold felt like? He could only imagine what it must be like for Amy.

He turned back to the fireplace and began to hurriedly pull out his sonic. He scanned over the construction. The sonic whirred to life, and not even moments later, a small flame erupted from the grates.

He slipped his tweed jacket off and set it on the floor next to him. He settled himself down in front of the flame and basked in the heat that radiated from the flames.

Amy's wounds needed attention, and the Doctor normally would have jumped right into that job, but he reasoned it would be useless to work without functioning limbs.

The Doctor was aware of the feeling returning to his numb muscles and he couldn't help but hiss a little at the pinprick sensation. As he felt heat returning to his body, he didn't fail to notice the weariness that washed over his mind and muscles.

He knew he couldn't sit still for much longer. He pushed himself up to his feet and came over to Amy's side. He tore a piece off his shirt and began to gently wipe away whatever blood he could.

With the TARDIS, he would have been able to heal her within a half-hour, but with only food supplies and a fire, he didn't have much to work with. He was sure that there were more wounds under her clothes somewhere. He was worried about leaving them to allow the blood to dry and cake, but there was nothing to be done.

The Doctor settled himself by the fire once again. He pressed his back against the wall so that he faced the door.

He was aware of the time passing and the barely-visible light leaking through the cracks in the wooden-wall.

Only then did his hearts skip many beats when he heard a scuffling outside the cabin. He remained still as he listened carefully. He heard voices, more specifically Minoran voices.

He dared not move or even hardly breathe. He wasn't afraid of them, but he knew the odds. He only had his sonic with him and he had to keep Amy safe.

"We know you're in there, _TimeLord_," one of the creatures hissed from above the cabin.

The Doctor turned his gaze upwards as he heard the Minorans scuffle on the roof.

The Doctor didn't bother to answer them. He hoped that they would either grow bored or believe he and Amy were somewhere else. That would never happen, for Minorans were known for their incredible sense of smell.

"Come on out, little Gallifreyen." They were taunting him and it took all of his willpower not to stride outside and face them.

He glanced towards the doors again when he heard something push against the locker.

Every fiber in the Doctor's body told him to frighten these puny little monsters away forever. He so dearly wanted to make them regret ever hurting his friend, but his Scottish friend would never forgive him if he ever hurt anyone out of spite.

If his rage had been anything close to terrible hours before, then it didn't compare to his wrath now.

As calmly as he could, he began to speak, "I would advise that you leave as quickly as you can."

Laughter erupted in response to his calm demand and the Doctor had to physically plant himself in place.

"Doctor, why don't you come out and play with us?"

He stopped, his anger instantly washing away. No. They couldn't know his name. He'd been careful to not reveal anything about any of their names, just in case something were to happen. _How did they know he was the Doctor_?

"So, you've heard of me, then?" He asked.

Silence fell over the cabin, which startled him. Only his worst enemies faltered under his name and he was quite sure he'd never met the Minorans before.

"We know you. Don't you remember? You had a different face back then. Oh, but you're arrogance hasn't changed since then," the Minoran on the roof said in a hushed voice.

Back then? He could only guess as to what they were talking about. He remembered every face, every destination. He never, in all his memories, met any Minoran before this day.

"Your silence tells us that you don't remember. During the last days of the Time War, you came to our planet and ravaged our cities. You alone took our tools and destroyed our towns. I remember that day, TimeLord. You betrayed us. We gave our best warriors to your _High Counsel_ and gave supplies to your soldiers. And that was how you repaid our hospitality – with destruction," the Minoran growled.

The Doctor was no longer looking at the roof. His gaze was glued to the floorboards. The Last Days of the War. Now he understood. The forever lost days. And to hear of the tales, the destruction he wrought upon this planet… He shuddered at the thought and brought his gaze to Amy. He was thankful that she was unconscious. If there was one thing he knew best about her, it was that she wanted answers if she believed it would affect her and Rory.

He knew about the Minorans (any TimeLord would) and he'd hoped that they would have forgotten the War. Even then, it was a difficult thing to forget once an individual experienced the cruelty it had to offer.

The Minorans had been one of the few trusted allies of the TimeLords. They were the henchmen, the ones who built the weapons and tested them on prisoners. They were the ones who developed weapons to destroy a Dalek's encasing (all this was only accomplished with the help of TimeLord technology). The Doctor was aware that the TimeLords didn't think highly of them, or any other species for that matter. A human would come to believe that Minorans were abominable monsters (he didn't deny that they were; why else would they have hurt Amelia?), but they hardly compared to the TimeLords and Daleks. His thoughts were drifting ever closer to the horrid memories, so he quickly pushed them away and returned his attention back to the increasing scrapes against the door.

"Did you know, TimeLord, that when you came into our fortress, we were more than surprised to see you travelling with _humans_? I came to believe that TimeLords stood above the look-alikes, even frowned over the thought of the Earthlings. What makes you so different, warrior?"

The Doctor scowled at the wooden doors. They were taunting him again. They didn't care for the answer; they just wanted to trick him into going outside.

He pushed himself up on weary legs to check on Amelia. She was a little too cold for his liking. He looked over to his tweed coat.

He bent over and picked it up with numb fingers. Even though the outside was still terribly wet, the inside was warm and dry. He laid it over her. He brushed his fingers over her cheek then turned back to the door.

The wood behind the locker was creaking with the force of the Minorans pushing against it.

"The Oncoming Storm, why do you hide? Surely you aren't afraid of us."

The Doctor clenched his fists at his side as he sent a glare back towards the roof. His fingers itched to grab his sonic. He knew it wouldn't do any good. Amy couldn't run. So long as she remained unconscious, they would remain in the small cabin.

So, the Doctor settled himself next to the fireplace once again and watched the door.

After long minutes of pushing against the door, the Minorans fell silent, except for the occasional jeering ("Look how the last Minorans hides").

He was ever so tempted to bring them down to their knees to beg for mercy. He rectified this urge by turning his gaze to Amy.

Hours passed, and he still continued to watch Amy as the Minorans sent less and less insults to him.

It snapped. All of it snapped when the Minoran spoke up after a few minutes, "I know why you hide, TimeLord. You cower because of that human of yours. You've grown weak, and now you scramble around with the bumbling Earthlings."

The Doctor was moving the locker before he even realized he'd gotten up. He opened the door, all the while bringing out the sonic out of his pocket with a flourish. He held it high above his head as he sent a dangerous glare at the thirteen Minorans. Some were crouched, while others stood off a ways, although close enough to stay away from the broken ice.

A few of the Minorans moved to lunge at him.

"Ah, ah, ah," The Doctor growled, lowly, as he extended the sonic. They faltered and quickly stopped their approach. They glared at him with their large, white eyes.

"And what do you suppose you'll do with that _sonic_ device?" The largest Chitauren snapped.

He knew they were wary, as they should be. If the Doctor had actually visited this planet during the Minorans' reign during the Time War, he really must have left an impacting experience with them. Even if they insulted his sonic screwdriver, they knew he could brandish it as a weapon.

"I have my TARDIS linked to this sonic _device_. With one sound wave, she'll explode."

The Minorans erupted with roaring laughter, except for the leader. The Doctor didn't look to the others; his only focus was the leader (_He_ was the one who had harmed Amy).

"You'll only strand yourself here; why would you do that?" The Minoran asked.

The Doctor twisted the sonic in his grip as he lowered his arm to chest-level. Oh, he would tell them. He wanted to see their faces turn from arrogance to horror.

"Have you never seen a TARDIS explode? No? When they explode, it starts out slow. It merely is a ship exploding. But the explosion expands. It grows and grows until it engulfs this galaxy. Everyone dies, even you lot. You all burn. That is, if you're lucky."

Most of them had shuffled back. The Doctor couldn't stop the smile from curling his lips. They were afraid and they didn't want to stay. Only the leader and a few other Minorans stayed in place.

"If you weren't so lucky, it slowly begins to erase small things from history. Just small things. As the explosion grows, not physically but through Time, it will start to erase people and planets. Eventually, history, the future, and everything around you begins to disappear until you're the only ones left. You'll barely be holding onto the last light of the Universe. You'll disappear and nothing will be left of the Universe. Everything will be gone."

The Doctor's smile fell away as he took bold steps up to the Minoran leader. He glared up at the blue creature as he held the sonic tightly in his grip. The lead Minoran was trying to stay still under the Doctor's gaze, but being a Minoran who was familiar with TimeLords knew it was not wise to push one any further.

The Doctor watched in satisfaction as they all turned and fled back to their city.

He placed the sonic back in his pocket as he continued to watch. He let out a pent up breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

What if they had stayed and pushed him a little further? Then what? They would have discovered his bluff and taken Amy again.

Of course, an exploding TARDIS was not a laughing matter, for they _could_ erase the Universe, but it would take more than a sonic screwdriver to set off the explosion. They didn't need to know that.

The Doctor turned back to the cabin. He was greeted with the sight of Amy standing in the doorway with his jacket draped over her shoulders.

Amy was shaking her head at him. She sighed heavily as she began to speak, "I'm going to close the door because it's cold, Doctor. Are you inside or outside?"

The Doctor noticed how shaky her voice was and how her body continued to tremble. He walked back into the cabin and closed the door behind him. Amy sat on the edge of the bed as she looked over at the fireplace.

The Doctor wrung his hands together as he hunched his shoulders. She was either angry with him or she was scared of him. He couldn't tell most of the time. But it was an emotion, and if Amy was having an emotion, he normally would call her husband in and let Rory deal with her. Rory wasn't here, so the Doctor could only come carefully over to the cot and sit next to her.

"I know you wouldn't have done it."

The Doctor looked up at Amy. He didn't say anything to her.

"But then again, you probably would have. Ever since Rory and I stopped travelling with you full time, you've changed. I know you killed Solomon and knowing that you almost killed Kahler Jex scares me."

Amy looked back at him with a frown that made the Doctor want to hug and comfort her. He couldn't, because right now _he_ was what she was frightened of.

"If this is what you're like after we haven't seen you for who knows how long, then what are you like when you're completely alone?"

The Doctor dared not think back on the Time War. He instead took her hand in his. His thumb traced over her marriage ring.

"I don't know," He responded, quietly. It was a lie, and he knew Amy knew this because she narrowed her eyes at him.

The Doctor released her hand and looked away. He was prepared for Amy's onslaught of reprimands. He waited for them to come, for Amy to stand before him with her fists on her hips.

He didn't expect Amy to lean her head against his shoulder. The Doctor looked down at her with raised eyebrows.

"Can we go back to the TARDIS?" She asked.

The Doctor smiled softly at her. "Whatever you want, Pond."

He helped the Scottish woman up.

She insisted that he take his jacket back, even more so after she learned about his fall in the frozen water, but he told her she was human and he was not.

She couldn't argue with that logic, so she remained quiet as they walked through the snow and fog, back to the TARDIS and Rory.

The Doctor didn't say anything to Amy, even though she would comment about the cold every so often.

She was right. What would he be like if he were alone? It was long after the Time War, and he'd had a few close friends since the War. He never had the chance to be alone. If Amy and Rory were ripped from his life, what would that do to him?

_A/N: So… I sort of made up what the planet Midnight is. I'm super nervous. Really, really nervous. I would like to know what people think, so please review?_

_-Shayafeathers_


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